Some stood from their seats, shock written across their faces. The Elders' eyes sharpened like blades, their power flaring enough to make the air vibrate.
Amber's false mask slipped instantly back into place. She clutched her chest, feigning shock, tears spilling anew as she cried,
"S-sister!" Her voice broke, trembling with rehearsed despair. "What is happening to her? Someone help her!"
But in the briefest heartbeat, before anyone else moved, Amber's gaze flicked once more to Livia—dark, satisfied, and cruel.
The Lycan King's claws dug into the armrest of his throne, wood cracking beneath his grip. His golden eyes blazed, his entire body trembling with the need to act, to rip apart the one who dared harm her. Yet he stayed rooted in place, because to reveal too much now would unleash chaos that even he could not contain.
